Giffords accepts award - on her own

Nov. 28, 2012
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Former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords greets the crowd at the 101st Arizona Town Hall meeting at the Talking Stick Resort in Scottsdale. Giffords made a rare public appearance on her own. / The (Ariz.) Republic, Tom Tingle

by By Shaun McKinnon, The (Ariz.) Republic

by By Shaun McKinnon, The (Ariz.) Republic

PHOENIX - For former Arizona Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, accepting a civic award was a perfectly ordinary event in a life that, over the past two years, has been anything but ordinary.

Giffords spoke just 10 words - "Thank you for this award. I appreciate it very much" - from the stage at a resort outside Phoenix where an Arizona leadership group held a luncheon in her honor Tuesday.

But she exchanged greetings, shared hugs and posed for pictures with dozens of people, lingering a few minutes even after her advisors suggested it was time to leave.

At one point, she stood to thank each member of a traditional dance group from Native American community that is home to the resort. She seemed moved when tribal singers sang a prayer for her and stood with tribal leaders for pictures.

For Giffords, the awards event was a rare public appearance on her own - her husband, the former astronaut Mark Kelly, could not attend because of a schedule conflict. It also came without the high profile and high stakes of other past public appearances, including her 2011 budget vote in Congress, the memorial in January on the one-year anniversary of her shooting and the sentencing of the shooter earlier this month.

The former congresswoman continues her recovery and rehabilitation from the gunshot wound suffered on Jan. 8, 2011, when Jared Loughner opened fire at a community event outside a grocery store near Tucson.

Six people died in the attack and 13, including Giffords, were injured. Giffords and Kelly attended Loughner's sentencing, but she did not speak that day. Loughner, under a plea agreement, will serve multiple life sentences plus time for the other shootings.

Tuesday's luncheon was held by Arizona Town Hall, a non-profit public interest group that meets twice each year to discuss issues ranging from growth and water to education and jobs. The topic at this gathering has been civic leadership, a subject that took on new significance after Giffords was shot.

The award was given to Giffords and Kelly together, but the focus was clearly on Giffords, who received a standing ovation as she entered the banquet room and another when she rose to accept the award.

Dressed in a tweed jacket and dark slacks, Giffords appeared relaxed and seemed to enjoy the time she spent meeting with people. Her right arm remained in a sling, but she used her left arm to wave, shake hands and embrace well-wishers.

An aide, Hayley Zachary, read a letter from Giffords and Kelly to thank Arizona Town Hall for the award, known as the Shirley Agnos Legacy Award. As Zachary described Agnos as a real pioneer, Giffords turned and gave Agnos a wave of encouragement.

Agnos, for many years president of the group, gave Giffords the crystal bowl that represents the award. The two hugged to more applause and Giffords could be heard saying to Agnos, "Thank you so much."

Among the people paying tribute to Giffords is the new executive director of the National Institute for Civil Discourse. The nonpartisan research and advocacy group was established at the University of Arizona with the help of former Presidents George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton in the months after the shootings.

"Gabby Giffords embodies the spirit and qualities of a true civic leader," said Carolyn Lukensmeyer, who took the reins of the institute in June. "She has inspired and continues to inspire people to follow their better angels."